Video evidence: Police started Fights on June 2nd

Gipfelsoli Infogruppe

Press Release June 3rd.2007

• Cooperation between civil police and “arresting unit”
• Possible framed arrests?

Rostock. Today a video appeared on the alternative media portal “indymedia” which showed the street battles on June 2nd in a different light. Whilst Police claimed to have reacted to attacks, it is quite clear in the video that the skirmishes were intentional to create brutal arrests.

The images initially portray a calm situation.The demonstration march from Schutzower Kiez has reached the city harbour and participants are listening to a speech about police violence in Brazil. In the Background a standby police unit from the state of Thueringen prepare for a snatch.

Into this visibly relaxed scene two civil policepersons appear suddenly and stand near two men wearing scarves on their faces.A large part of the circa 5000 participants of the “black block” wear scarves on their faces. Suddenly the police drag down one of the masked men in order to arrest him. Other demonstration participants join and demand that the police desist in their provocation.

Immediately an arrests unit already on site rush in and the shove bystanders and supportive eyewitnesses to the side. Following this a brawl developed during which a police vehicle was attacked. This setting subsequently developed into an hour-long struggle with the police.

“The video clearly shows that police provoked the clashes”, one eyewitness commented. “The video is without question open to intepretation: the masked guys were so obvious that a framed arrest definitely can’t be ruled out”.

Download at: http://media.de.indymedia.org/rtsp/2007/06/180647.rm